This invention relates to a through-fill closure for a receptacle of flowable material, such as an intermediate bulk container (I.B.C.).
Containers such as bulk storage vessels, silos, hoppers and the like are often used for handling and storing flowable material, such as powder or like particulate material, though the material could be a liquid, slurry or similar. Such a container commonly includes an outlet valve comprising a valve body and an internal closure device. The closure device can be raised or lowered to open and close the outlet valve. The flowable material is often required to be transferred from the container through the valve outlet thereof to a receptacle, such as an I.B.C., for further handling. Where the material can contaminate the surrounding environment as well as the container and receptacles themselves, complicated, and thus expensive, equipment has to be utilised for removing a closure or lid of a charging aperture of the receptacle.
It is known from GB-A-2262515 to provide a container of the kind herein defined with an internal closure device which can be raised and lowered by a pneumatic actuator to open and close the valve outlet. There is a suction cup below the closure device for removing a loose lid of a receptacle into which material from the container is to flow once the container and receptacle have been brought into sealing contact with one another. The use of a suction cup suffers from the drawback that it is prone to leakage with the result that the lid falls back onto the receptacle.
According to the present invention there is provided a through-fill closure for a receptacle of flowable material, the closure comprising a body part having a charging aperture, a closure operating member for opening the closure device of a container of the kind herein defined, there being an annular or substantially annular gap between the edge of the aperture and the closure operating device, and a stretchable annular sealing member attached to the body part, the sealing member sealing the gap between the body part and the closure operating member when the receptacle and container are separated and forming a seal between the body part and the container when the receptacle and the container are moved together and prior to the closure operating member opening the closure device of the container.
The invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings.